People saw them going, and many recognized them. And running there from all the towns, they arrived ahead of them together and gathered around Him.
The people were so attached to Christ’s person and works that when they saw Him leaving, they began to look for Him. They ran from various towns and arrived there ahead of them. This shows the depth of human need. People sensed that their help, healing, and truth are in Jesus. Although not everyone’s motives were pure or mature, their zeal nevertheless shows the hunger and thirst that were present. At the same time, this scene shows that the rest the disciples had planned is interrupted by the people’s need, and that ministry often requires giving up personal comforts. As we will see next, this scene also prepares for a great miracle—the account of feeding the five thousand.